Archive for February, 2013

The Open Defence to the Ruy Lopez opening was one I explored when getting interested in postal chess as it fit into my square count theory quite nicely and apparently became widely tested during the World championship matches, Smyslov-Botvinnik, Karpov-Korchnoi and Karpov-Kasparov and given much investigation in major tournaments. It has received considerable investigation by Bent Larsen who wrote a pamphlet or book covering it, and had aimed it toward the amateur playing group as a hotbed weapon for adventurous souls. During the 1960s and 1970s I had several occasions to meet it or play it myself in tournament and match games.

This variation was a favorite of my brother Raymond and it was tested a number of times in our private matches as well in a number of his postal tournaments. I played Black against Denis Strenzwilk’s Ruy Lopez, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5* and shortly thereafter, my opponent erred and I went on to win a cleanup ending.

Different opinions through skilled analysis as well as my own thought process favored a sharp defensive setup called the Dilworth Variation* Play might continue 10. Nbd2 with 10…O-O 11. Bc2 Nxf2 12. Rxf2 f6 13. exf6 Bxf2/ch 14. Kxf2 Qxf6 15. Kg1 Rae8 where Black has advantage of attack against the weakened King position.

An interesting article by CCLA member Ray Reithel appeared in the magazine, The Chess Correspondent, that was on the Dilworth Attack which, at the time, had only scant review in magazine coverage for North American consumption.

Today, modern opening books print variations from game scores but often lacking is the perception of truly great players of what makes chess wisdom and it’s practicality worthy of being called science, art and sport. Such a book was accomplished by GM Bent Larsen who, in tearing apart a classic struggle between Bobby Fischer and himself, perhaps has turned on the light for many aspiring young people and tickling the juices of oldsters as well.

In this position have seen top flight GMs among a cadre of annalysts who willingly gave their individual assessment of how the land lay for the coming battle.

Tarrasch comments: Black’s position is better. Look at his strong Knight on e4, his Queen-side pawn space advantage and central mobility, and I do see the e5 pawn as being weak.

Paul Keres comments: The Knight on e4 is a potential weak target. The Queenside pawns are potentially weak due to White’s potential in undermining them and forcing one or more open lines. White has Kingside chances for attack because of his e5 pawn’s penetration into the center.

Writer Marin found Bent Larsen’s thoughts in his pamplet: I thought that ordinary chess playing amateurs ought to seek and play sharp opening positions instead of merely following well tracked sources from literature.

In 1981 I captained the New York State Beavers chess teams that had over 30 members. The following interesting battle was between C. E. Morrison of the Ohio team versus R. Reithel playing for the Beavers on board 1. My brother hated algebraic notation and always used ED. As you know, I advocated knowing ED notation because many books are recorded in English Descriptive notation. Also, Bobby Fischer used it.

Are we suffering due to the sinfulness seen in this modern world-order? Well, dear reader, I am sick of reading and getting morning, afternoon, and evening news about how archaic are the laws of Life. I was tempted to shuck the whole business and tell the world view to go to Hell, and that included you know well who I mean but can’t say because they might persecute me. What changed my mind was the Jews for Jesus newsletter by David Brickner, Executive Director, who prophetically reminded me of God’s Word. I had nearly committed a sin by letting the Devil’s Worshippers drown me as they do on the nightly news and curse those who abide by the Godly learned principles emanating from Holy Scripture.

I truly believe that the heading: A newsletter for the Christian who wants to know more about Jews and evangelism is truly meant for our day because it’s breath of clarity and forthrightness is clue to create a lasting bond that for too long was often the vice and deviltry of those who stirred hatreds and banishment of such a clotting of ideals and values due to religious bigotry that was meant on purpose to segregate and defame any who spoke up for human dignity seeking justice, truth and understanding.

The so-called Progressive Movement speakers on TV show their faces, smile and pat themselves on the back for something they were fed from the mouth and writings of Professor Alinsky, an avowed socialist who hated the American way of life. He said the phrase would mislead the masses to go heavily against the established national constitution, Federalist Papers, and other writings and legal opinions that stood the test of our rather short history as a nation. In short, he wanted to find dupes who would work to destroy our system of government and religious values held by families no matter the race or religious belief. It has gone so far as to try to discredit our Founding Fathers by lies and deceit.

Despite having to endure countless verbal fights on the streets of Israeli cities, David Brickner, among many followers of the Jews for Jesus movement, his penning to the editor of First Things spoke elegantly in part: “Rather than denigrating Judaism or any other faith, isn’t it possible that the act of ‘proselyizing’ is, in fact, not only one of obedience to God, but a demonstration of supreme love for the individual who is the so-called target of proselytizing?”

There are two sides in a debate that conflict in part the views of either. My parents taught me that the braggart and loudmouth agitators speak, as the Indians termed it, “with a forked tongue”. I guess when I listened to the speech by President Obama (and I had hoped wisdom prevailed) it was quite clear that he was bent on causing a rift by cloaking his real purpose to further disunity among our People with flowery follies of speech. He has no concept of what makes people come together to solve problems. And he has in his corner his further reliance by Senator Harry Reid who must be punch drunk from beatings while in the boxing ring when young, fueling second-rate choices for Senate confirmations.

Lent is special. The Pope has said he is resigning; his age is obvious a problem for him. The question is why not get a young Pope instead of pandering the old guard with relics who find it difficult to function physically? No; for some reason it is always a desire to reward not only holiness but aged wisdom. That is often the rule in business although the young lions seem to be outshining the old war horses when it comes to new and inventive ways of planning. This desire is likely a reason why it is hard to retain enthusiasm for the priesthood or encourage new blood. Looking at the past, the Roman Catholic Church having ties to the ruthless mob bosses and sexual misconduct, turned a lot of people away from such a career choice and finding Mass attendance down. Lent can bring revival.

The weight of mission propels those who know love, sacrifice, and take up the banner of Jesus’ instruction within the Jewish Faith shines bright like the stars in the Heavens. For it is the coming together in brotherly love and respect that people will find salvation and blessings. It comes down the pipe from the Bible–of God’s love for his flock.

In conclusion I find not the words to fully express this natural want for personal relief from any obligation to say what most people do not want to hear or read about sin and salvation. I truly believe the Gospel and honestly care for people. Can you or I be comfortable not having tried?

When visiting the area zoo as a child with my brother and parents, I felt sorry for the apes and elephant housed there. They all looked so sad and some were downright angry, so much so, that found them spewing spit aimed at my head ( thankfully there was a glass to protect visitors.) Sometimes I think about the nuts in Washington, D.C. who play at being government protectorates of our once free and prosperous nation. Oh, I know the past. The indignities shown the cultures of the Indian tribes, merely described as the Red Men. And I might just remind you of the hazards shown chain gang prisoners who were treated less than slaves. At least the negro population that despised this term in favor of just plain blacks or African-Americans had a much better life than either of the previous mentioned. The heritage of black folks and the American Indian tribes were likened more as fools, not recognizing the rich heritage of both groups. And look at the immigrants from China who helped build the railroads and from European nations and South American countries that brought with them bountiful contributions which contributed to make this a true melting pot! In some ways I see for so many as being financially caged, poked fun of, ridiculed, as being like those apes and the elephant who were uprooted from their territorial homes and free to roam the plains and swing in the tree tops that provided their food, protection and lifestyle. In words:– distrust, spite, hatred, love, envy, but mostly ignorance and lack of compassion and understanding by educated whites who, in the majority, felt entitled to the fruits of the Land. Such was the greed and corruption displayed that even education and wisdom did not prevail until good folks began to see the light what we have all been inherited with.

The United States of America has undergone a host of trials and tribulations. The term ‘remedy’ is hard to swallow in the minds of those whose modern birthright as citizens or green card holders whose ancestors may well have occupied this continent from the very beginnings of foreign invasion. Those invasions were to profit the mother countries by explorers.

I think about those apes and the elephant in bondage for the benefit of visitors; the rarely shown interest to bring aid to various species assuring their continued existence in a world vastly different through the time machine of centuries past. I wonder often about the politicians who act like monkeys. They certainly monkey around while our beloved nation has been victimized by greed and corruption. For sure, great nations and lesser nations perish from outside but more so by the permitted ruin of human error of character and judgment.

China’s military armies and navies are on the rise. Leaders are more militaristic. Modern weapons no longer guarantee safety for our people with technology, financial stability and purpose of values and principles upon which our greatness is founded. Our leaders are deaf mutes to the transgressions of other nations and Peoples where their values of society differ greatly from our own, not that we are a perfect specimen of righteousness. Our history proves that. But how we view others is security of our own value system. And Russia, the long cold war adversary and death of hundreds of thousands that included the murder of the Czar’s family, and Hollywood making light in comical sketches via movies on Communist Life, one such being by the actress, Greta Garbo has become increasing hostile to the United States by V. Putin, a former head of the notorious KGB and now dictatorial ruler of all Russia. Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov continues to feature the shortcomings of this dark shadow on the world stage.

So you see folks why I have given no further talks on the political scene so far as President Barack Obama is concerned or the decay of moralities among the government machines, whether it be the Chicago mobs, or Washington screwups from the White House down. The people spoke; the people–dumb as many are just ignorant– now find their individual votes do count because it was after all the individual vote that put you and I being witness to the decaying future and survival of The United (Broke) States of America.

God Bless Us One and All and may we find leaders who will lead from the front and not from behind. Those who lead from behind mimic asses and that reminds me of the apes.

A perfect example how chess and life mirror one another come from the tension seen in emotional feelings and expression. For the chess enthusiast, years of historical collections of such writings creates, in picture form, the building of tension patterning conflict, plans, ideas, and decisional judgments that touch both tactical and positional motifs in chess and built into life experiences.

Tension is a key ingredient in all chess strategy and consumes much of the combatants attention. In my analysis that led to the idea of square count, the attack and defense squares centered around Capablanca’s fundamental idea of combined development as I saw it, being a form of pressure chess, necessitating both the art of attack and the art of defense, when facing moves that try to churn the guts of a position.

Larry Evans wrote a book explaining his thoughts on time, space, force, pawn structure and converting one positive to another with the opponent making effort to neutralize or even crash the whole venture by turning the tables. Likewise, the writings of Dr. Emmanuel Lasker saw chess as a struggle. Do we not see these thoughts of great writers, thinkers and players establishing a principium connection between life and chess?

Take any opening, and the very nature of pawn structure and piece movement cries out –TENSION. There is immediate tension as well as long-range tension that fester on the edge of explosive force. Conversely, there is a defanging tension. Some elementary examples are:

The French Defence provides good examples of different patterns and tension.

Here is a good game I found played by Petrosian against Bobby Fischer (White) featuring the MacCutcheon system*. This radical defensive line has its moments but is rarely adopted by French players. Features a Kingly walk by Petrosian.

Another game demonstrates an example of tension that again is combined with what I call pressure chess. It provides an interesting lesson in posing chess strategy as a crapshoot of sorts. It is an interesting battle between two students from the Student Olympiad of 1962.

Black decides to hopefully catch his opponent in a line he prepared for and consequently White does not respond with the recommended book line that suggests the best way to try and achieve an opening advantage. It is a kin to the Schliemann Defence that goes 3…f5 a move earlier.

5. d4 fxe4 6. Ng5?!

6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Nxe5 is a book recommendation.

6. …Bb6 7. d5 e3!

Gufeld may have hoped for a quick win if 7. …Nce7 8. Ne6 winning the Queen!